Walters
A patronymic surname meaning “son of Walter,” from the medieval given name Walter.
The #350 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 3,454 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Walters is an English patronymic surname built from the medieval personal name Walter plus a possessive or family-form ending. In plain terms, it originally meant “Walter’s son” or “belonging to Walter.” The given name Walter itself is of Germanic origin, commonly explained as meaning something like “ruler of the army” or “army power.”
History
The surname appears widely in English records and is treated by 19th-century surname writers as one of several common descendants of the given name Walter, alongside Watson, Waterson, Watkins, and others. It spread in England after the Norman period, when Walter became a popular baptismal name. In modern usage it is especially common in English-speaking countries, including the United States.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
19th-century surname dictionaries repeatedly group Walters with a whole family of Walter-derived surnames, showing how influential the forename once was in English naming.
From the historical record
“Cp. Walder and Waters. WALTERS, Waiter's (Son) \„ ,,,„n.„„ WALTERSON, Walter's Son f^' Walter. WALTHAM(Eng.)Bel.toWaltham(acommon Eng. place-name) = the Enclosure or Dwelling by the Wood [O.E. w{e)aii, a wood + ham{m, an enclosure, etc.] The orig. d in the name was unvoiced”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)Notable people named Walters
- Barbara Walters (1929–2022)
- Julie Walters (b. 1950)
Sourced from Wikidata; linked to their Wikipedia page.